DIY Power Amp?

[Jim Nazium]

The western world is awash in used older model power amps for almost nothing.

This. If you're looking for a fun and challenging project, go ahead and build your own amp. If you want the cheapest, fastest way to get a working power amp, buy something used.

Years ago I read an interview with guitarist Ry Cooder, in which he described the live rig he'd spent years working on. It consisted of a Neve console module, a tube limiter, some other stuff I've forgotten about, and a power amp salvaged from an organ. The point being, if the front end is giving you the tone you want and you just need to make it louder, almost anything will work. There's plenty of dirt cheap gear at pawn shops, garage sales, etc that contains usable power amps.

 

[friendlybass]

How good is your math and transistor theory?

math and transistor theory may be my next band name.

 

[friendlybass]

Building stuff is fun. But if you do it anticipate the learning curve, buy the correct tools and safety equipment, and take the time to do it right. The first one might cost you an arm and a leg, but the ones after that may save you something along the way

 

[agedhorse]

The op asked about building his own amp, not designing it. The guys who put together amps ina production line (back when it was done by hand) were only required to know how to solder.


To the op: if you can populate a board and know a capacitor from a resistor, by all means go ahead and build your amp.

The OP would need to find a "production ready" kit in order for this to be viable. Do you know of any?

 

[BadExample]

The op asked about building his own amp, not designing it. The guys who put together amps ina production line (back when it was done by hand) were only required to know how to solder.


To the op: if you can populate a board and know a capacitor from a resistor, by all means go ahead and build your amp.

I get what you're saying and agree there is a huge difference between designing and building an amp. However, after working at a lab instrument manufacturer for the better part of two decades, I can say there is a huge skillset required in addition to soldering. I would say it takes years of supervised OJT to become profficient. You may wonder what labratory instrumentation would have to do with an MI power amp. I can assure you there are many parallels and in fact one of our products was nothing more than a huge textbook monoblock SS amp, only with different I/O (connectors)

Your point on the difference between design and build is valid and well taken. I just felt obligated to point out the diverse skillset of a group of ladies I worked with who quickly gained my respect and admiration. So please don't take this as any sort of an attack on you

I've been away from that company for a good ten years now. I'm now a network engineer with a side salad of security and in charge of server virtualization. I feel I have lost my electronic component level troubleshooting skills, especially with transistors

 

[BadExample]

The OP would need to find a "production ready" kit in order for this to be viable. Do you know of any?

Being currenty employed in the industry, I understand you may or may not be able to talk much on manufactering and electrical assembly. But it would be interesting to hear you input on your electron asemblers and how skilled they really are. I thought ours were some of the best trained, most diverse and hard to replace individuals in the company.

 

[JFOC]

The OP would need to find a "production ready" kit in order for this to be viable. Do you know of any?

Only one I know of is the Hypex Ncore & its definitely not cheap
Hypex Electronics webshop

 

[swarfrat]

The OP asked "Am i better off buying a power amp or building one myself". The answer for that - even for veterans builders, is still almost always buy. The main reasons for building are 1) you can't buy what you want, 2) you want to learn something.

 

[Josh Kneisel]

I was leaning more towards buying one anyway. I didn't expect the sarcasm here. BTW I worked as an electricians apprentice for a few years and can read schematics. I was just curious if I could build something smaller and lighter than a Crown since I literally just want juice and an input that I can send Line Level from my Sans Amp and I only need a couple speakon outs for the cabinet. My GK 700RB ii allows for bypassing the preamp section by going directly into the effects return, but then I feel like I'm lugging extra weight since I don't need all the bells and whistles just the power amp. Sounds like my own research is lining up with whats being said here though.

 

[MVE]

I was leaning more towards buying one anyway. I didn't expect the sarcasm here. BTW I worked as an electricians apprentice for a few years and can read schematics. I was just curious if I could build something smaller and lighter than a Crown since I literally just want juice and an input that I can send Line Level from my Sans Amp and I only need a couple speakon outs for the cabinet. My GK 700RB ii allows for bypassing the preamp section by going directly into the effects return, but then I feel like I'm lugging extra weight since I don't need all the bells and whistles just the power amp. Sounds like my own research is lining up with whats being said here though.

You can get ICE and hypex modules on eBay.
I think a few people here have built stuff with them.

 

[Passinwind]

I was leaning more towards buying one anyway. I didn't expect the sarcasm here. BTW I worked as an electricians apprentice for a few years and can read schematics. I was just curious if I could build something smaller and lighter than a Crown since I literally just want juice and an input that I can send Line Level from my Sans Amp and I only need a couple speakon outs for the cabinet. My GK 700RB ii allows for bypassing the preamp section by going directly into the effects return, but then I feel like I'm lugging extra weight since I don't need all the bells and whistles just the power amp. Sounds like my own research is lining up with whats being said here though.

Why not just get the Tech 21 VT Bass head and call it a day?

 

[SirMjac28]

I was leaning more towards buying one anyway. I didn't expect the sarcasm here. BTW I worked as an electricians apprentice for a few years and can read schematics. I was just curious if I could build something smaller and lighter than a Crown since I literally just want juice and an input that I can send Line Level from my Sans Amp and I only need a couple speakon outs for the cabinet. My GK 700RB ii allows for bypassing the preamp section by going directly into the effects return, but then I feel like I'm lugging extra weight since I don't need all the bells and whistles just the power amp. Sounds like my own research is lining up with whats being said here though.

I don't think it was malicious sarcasm I think people are genuinely concerned about your safety. I say go for it find a local electronics tech who can get you started then you can finish the project yourself they may even have a number of parts already lying around.

 

[Five String]

Why mess with success? Power amps are all supposed to be colorless but they're not, really, so if you get a Crown or Crest or whatever you may find you prefer the sound of your GK. Really it sounds like you're trying to lose a little weight by ditching the GK pre but how important is that to you if you really like the sound you are getting from the GK power amp? Or, maybe it is time for something new that probably will sound different and maybe, to your ears, better. If so, try the Crown XLS 1000. I got one and the sound is really something else from my older Crown. Or, as many posters have said, $300 and CL will get you almost anything you want.

 

[seamonkey]

Smaller, maybe lighter than a crown
Invalid Link Removed

Only 1 year warranty thought.

 

[Johns Bass]

math and transistor theory may be my next band name.

...math is a four letter word. might cost you a few gigs...

 

[agedhorse]

Being currenty employed in the industry, I understand you may or may not be able to talk much on manufactering and electrical assembly. But it would be interesting to hear you input on your electron asemblers and how skilled they really are. I thought ours were some of the best trained, most diverse and hard to replace individuals in the company.

I agree, skilled assemblers are incredibly important, one of the most valuable assets a company can possess IMO.

 

[agedhorse]

I don't think it was malicious sarcasm I think people are genuinely concerned about your safety. I say go for it find a local electronics tech who can get you started then you can finish the project yourself they may even have a number of parts already lying around.

It wasn't malicious sarcasm, it was honest, experienced opinion.

A power amp is more than a number of parts soldered together.

 

[Passinwind]

You can get ICE and hypex modules on eBay.
I think a few people here have built stuff with them.

There are a few of us here, but you can find literally hundreds of such builds on DIYaudio.com, FWIW. Plenty of people there actually roll their own power amp sections as well. This is all a pretty deep rabbit hole though, and if the stuff is going to leave your house it really needs to be done right IMHO.

 

[Frank77]

When it comes to amps (and almost anything electronic, really), it's never cost-efficient to build a one-of vs purchasing an off-the-shelf, mass produced unit. Parts, PCB, enclosure, tooling...it adds up quick. I build my own stuff from time to time, but it's either because I want something that is super-specific to my needs, or just for the fun of doing it myself, never to save money.

I agree, skilled assemblers are incredibly important, one of the most valuable assets a company can possess IMO.

As an assembler / tester: Thank you, sir!

 

[Josh Kneisel]

Why mess with success? Power amps are all supposed to be colorless but they're not, really, so if you get a Crown or Crest or whatever you may find you prefer the sound of your GK. Really it sounds like you're trying to lose a little weight by ditching the GK pre but how important is that to you if you really like the sound you are getting from the GK power amp? Or, maybe it is time for something new that probably will sound different and maybe, to your ears, better. If so, try the Crown XLS 1000. I got one and the sound is really something else from my older Crown. Or, as many posters have said, $300 and CL will get you almost anything you want.

I'm happy with my GK, but since I don't even touch the pre and it is only rated for 480 x 50 watts at 4 ohms. I would like to eventually run the sans amp into something that if needed I could chain two 4ohm cabinets which would drop the ohm load to 2 ohms and something in the area of about 1000 watts. Most gigs I would never need that (as a matter of fact for my weekly hotel gig I only run the Sans Amp to the PA), but for large venues I would like to have more headroom and options as far as which cabinets I can use. I have been looking at the Crowns